This ‘SNL’ Cast Member Used to ‘Punish’ Audiences When a Sketch Went Badly
Seth Meyers and Will Ferrell were once cast members during the same era on Saturday Night Live, and when they get together, they like to reminisce about those days.
In one interview, they talked about a time when one of them was doing a sketch, and it didn’t go well. But instead of stopping, this actor made it go on even longer to “punish” the audience.
Remembering their time on ‘Saturday Night Live’
When Ferrell appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers, the two friends took the opportunity to catch up and remember the old days. One of the topics Meyers brought up was a skit Ferrell did back in their SNL days. The premise centered around a man who impersonated a little-known actor from the ’70s, a reference that didn’t resonate with many people.
Unsurprisingly, not many people laughed since they didn’t understand what was happening. But Meyers pointed out that Ferrell wouldn’t let that response stop him.
“I’d say the reason it was great to watch and why we all watched it, is you never waned at all,” Meyers said. “You committed fully.”
Ferrell agreed, admitting that there was a reason he stuck with the sketch:
“You know, I have a tendency, for some reason, when I could tell — when a sketch was tanking — and I could tell the audience was like ‘Let’s just get to the next thing,’ and I would take twice as long.
I don’t know why, but I wanted to punish the audience. It was like, ‘Okay. You don’t think it’s funny. Now you’re gonna really not think it’s funny. ‘Cause I’m gonna turn this three-minute gem into an eight-minute turd. And you’re gonna have to sit through it.'”
Life after ‘SNL’ for Will Ferrell
Fortunately for everyone, Ferrell’s time on SNL didn’t feature many eight-minute turds. He was a popular part of the show from 1995 until he left in 2002. According to Biography, he hit the ground running as a comedic movie actor when he moved on.
In 2003, he starred in the iconic Christmas movie Elf. The following year brought his classic movie Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Then, in 2006, he starred in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. He’s continued to create unforgettable characters in comedies ever since.
Ferrell has been a huge influence on comedy, not only in his movies. He’s also worked on other projects, such as Funny or Die, a streaming video site he launched in 2007 with writers Chris Henchy and Adam McKay.
Ferrell also wrote and starred in a one-man Broadway show called You’re Welcome America: A Final Night with George W. Bush, based on his SNL character. And in 2019, he launched The Ron Burgundy Podcast.
What’s Will Ferrell doing now?
Ferrell doesn’t seem to be slowing down and continues to create comedies with his friends. He recently costarred with his buddy Ryan Reynolds in Spirited, an Apple TV+ take on A Christmas Carol. According to Variety, he’ll appear in the much-anticipated Greta Gerwig movie Barbie that will be released this summer.
“I get to play the CEO of Mattel and be that guy who’s just insensitive but weird and then, not to spoil anything, but … Anyway, that’s what excites me,” Ferrell said.
Ferrell has been making audiences laugh for decades. He may claim that he wants to punish them if they don’t find his work funny, but fortunately for everyone, that isn’t an issue that comes up very often.
